Corn Chowder

Sweet corn season is over and the weather is getting chilly. Now you have a freezer full of frozen corn. Here's a simple corn chowder recipe that is sure to please.


Corn Chowder
1/2 lb bacon, diced
4 c corn, cut off the cob
1 c onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 c potatoes, peeled & diced
1 c carrots, peeled & diced
3 c chicken broth (I use water & bouillon. Easier and tastes better)
3 c milk (2% works fine. Whole would probably be even creamier)
3 tbsp butter

1. Fry bacon until crisp. Drain, cool, crumble. Reserve 2 tbsp drippings in pan.

2. To drippings, add onion and garlic. Cook 3 min.

3. Transfer onion/garlic to large pot, add potatoes, carrots, broth, corn. Cook 10 min over medium-high heat, or until potatoes are tender.

4. Add milk, butter, bacon, salt & pepper to taste. Heat.
(I added a smidge of flour to thicken it, but that's a faux pas if you want a 'real' chowder, or so I've heard)

5. Serve topped with a little bacon and/or some leftover corn.

Sausage Gravy w/ The Best Biscuits Ever

These biscuits are to die for. I had one saved aside to put in the picture, but I kind of ate it before I got to my camera. Sorry!

Biscuits
2 cups flour
2 tbsp sugar
3 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup cold butter, cut into tiny chunks
1 egg
2/3 cup milk

1. Preheat oven to 450F.
2. Combine dry ingredients in medium bowl.
3. Cut in butter until crumbly. (It doesn't matter if there are still butter chunks. That just makes it all the better.)
4. Beat egg and milk together, then add to mix. Stir until just moist.
5. Roll out on floured surface and cut into biscuits. They taste just as good if you mold them by hand, though. You should get about 10 biscuits.
6. Bake at 450F for 10 minutes, or until the underside is brown around the edge.

Sausage Gravy
1 lb sausage
2 cups milk
3 tbsp flour
Salt, pepper, poultry seasoning to taste

1. Brown sausage in skillet.
2. Beat flour into milk. Pour into skillet. Stir thoroughly. Season to taste.
3. Cook on medium until sauce is desired thickness. Spoon over the best biscuits ever and enjoy.

Potato Casserole

1 bag frozen hash browns
2 cups fat free sour cream
1 can cream of mushroom soup
8 oz shredded Cheddar
1 cup 2% milk
1/2 cup chopped green onions
3/4 cup crushed corn flakes or crackers
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 425F. Stir together hash browns, mushroom soup, sour cream, milk, cheese, onions, salt, and pepper.

2. Pour mixture into 9x13 greased pan. Top with crushed corn flakes or crackers.

3. Bake 30-35 minutes.

Straw and Hay Penne

1/2 lb dry penne
1/2 lb dry spinach penne
1 pkg frozen peas, thawed
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
6 oz Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled
1/2 cup grated Romano
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

1. Cook pasta according to directions, about 13 minutes. Add peas during last 2 minutes.

2. In saucepan, heat cream over medium-high heat. When cream simmers, stir in cheese, salt, nutmeg, and cayenne. Heat until cheese is melted and sauce is smooth.

3. Drain pasta. Return to pot and toss with sauce. Serve immediately with more grated Romano, if desired.

Cali-Schetta

1/2 baguette, cut into 1/2-in slices on the diagonal
3 tbsp olive oil
1 large garlic close, peeled, plus 1 clove peeled and finely chopped
2 medium ripe tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1 avocado, pitted, peeled, and chopped
1/2 onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
2 tbsp chopped cilantro
2 tbsp lime juice
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

1. Heat oven to 350F. Lightly brush both sides of baguette slices with 2 tbsp of olive oil. Toast in oven for 4 minutes per side. Remove from oven and rub with 1 side of whole garlic. Cool.

2. Mix chopped garlic, tomatoes, onion, avocado, cheese, cilantro, lime juice, salt, pepper, and 1 tbsp olive oil. Cover and refrigerate 30 minutes.

3. Top each baguette slice with 1/4 cup tomato mix and serve.

Ice Cream Cake Roll

3/4 cup flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder
Salt
4 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp confectioner's sugar
3 cups mint chip ice cream, softened
Chocolate syrup

1. Heat oven to 350F. Grease 15x10 jelly roll pan. Line with waxed paper. Grease paper.

2. Mix flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and a pinch of salt. In separate bowl, beat eggs until very light yellow. Add sugar, continue beating. Add vanilla.

3. Fold flour mixture into egg mixture. Pour into pan. Bake for 12 minutes or until cake springs back.

4. Dust a clean kitchen towel with confectioner's sugar. Turn cake out onto towel. Roll up towel and cake. Cool completely.

5. Unroll. Spread with softened ice cream to within 1 inch from edges. Reroll cake without towel. Wrap in plastic wrap. Freeze at least 4 hours. If frozen overnight, let stand at room temperature for 20 minutes before serving. Drizzle with chocolate syrup before serving.

Chili-Lime Chicken

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup oil
1/4 cup lime juice
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp garlic puree (or 3 minced garlic cloves)
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp onion powder
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

1. Mix all ingredients (minus chicken) in a bowl. Trim chicken and make several small slits crosswise along the top. Place chicken in a ziploc bag and pour in marinade. Let sit in fridge for 4-8 hours.

2. When ready go BBQ, spray the grate with Pam, then turn on the grill and preheat to medium-high. Place chicken on grill top-side down. Cook for 5 minutes and rotate 45 degrees to get a nice cross-hatch pattern. Cook for 5 more minutes, then flip the chicken. Cook for another 5-10 until chicken is done.